Reflections On The Philosophical Basis Of Ecological Ethic

One of the essential targets of Ecological Ethics lies in the determination of "humans' moral obligations to nature". The focus of the debates between anthropocentrism and non-anthropocentrism is whether this obligation has been developed through humans' direct obligations to humans (indirect ones to nature) or through humans' direct obligations to nature. Ecological ethicists emphasize whether the natural objects have moral position and whether they can become moral subjects as the center of the research. Anthropocentrism believes that natural objects have no moral position and cannot become moral subjects. Anthropocentrism believes that natural objects own no moral position and no moral subject, consequently mankind carries no direct moral obligations to nature. Non-anthropocentrism believes otherwise and tries to prove that natural objects are moral subjects and possess moral positions, so mankind shoulders direct moral obligations to nature. Through "the moral position of natural objects", anthropocentrism and non-anthropocentrism try to verify whether mankind has direct obligations to nature, which is a concept of reciprocal exchanges between rights and obligations based upon "Social Contract Theory". However, the concept of "Social Contract Theory" does not totally fit the relationships between mankind and nature. The silent attributes of nature deny the possibilities of the dialogues and negotiations between mankind and nature, therefore a Ecological Ethics based upon substantial and justifiable moral reasons should rely on whether mankind possesses ecological moral reason and on the moral degrees that mankind consciously cares for natural objects. It means that mankind's obligations to natural objects are not necessarily relevant to the moral positions and moral subjects of natural objects, and that mankind's kind will, altruism and the humanity that cares for nature can yield the moral obligations to natural objects. The quality that makes humans human is the essential basis of mankind's moral obligations to natural objects. The humanity that cares for nature itself contains the moral demands for kind treatments to natural objects. Ecological Ethics does not restrains human deeds for human benefits, because that would render Ecological Ethics to instrument for human desires; Similarly Ecological Ethics is neither moral obligations to respect animal's rights and the inherent values of lives, which would cause Ecological Ethics excluded from mankind and become a compulsory morality on mankind. Ecological ethics exists inherently in humanity, and it is the self-manifestation of humanity and the requirement for the realization of the values that qualify humans human.